War stirs doubts in Clooney

Published: Friday, February 11, 2000

Though it provided a striking backdrop for his latest film role, George Clooney says the Persian Gulf War never made much sense to him.

"I was born into a big liberal family so, for us, going to war before sanctions are tried and work seems silly," he said at the Berlin Film Festival, where his "Three Kings" made its European debut Thursday.

Clooney plays Capt. Archie Gates, a savvy career soldier, in the story of three adventurers who conspire at the end of the Gulf War to track down a stash of gold supposedly hidden in the Iraqi desert.

"It was like a video game war," Clooney said. "You sit in your living room and press a button, but no one gets hurt. But in reality lots of innocent people were hurt."Lawmakers criticize Kilborn

Craig Kilborn

has incurred the wrath of Kentucky lawmakers over his on-air jokes about tornado-ravaged Owensboro.

A House resolution adopted this week said lawmakers are "deeply aggrieved at the lack of compassion" shown by the host of "The Late, Late Show with Craig Kilborn" on CBS.

The measure asks Kilborn to apologize to Kentuckians for saying replacement trailer houses were on their way to Owensboro residents whose homes were destroyed by the Jan. 3 tornado, which caused an estimated $70 million worth of damage in western Kentucky.

Lawmakers also want Kilborn to say he's sorry for referring to the commonwealth as "Kensucky."BYLINE1:Chris Enders, a CBS spokesman, said "we certainly regret if we added to the pain of their tragedy in any way."

BYLINE2:

Rainier has lung surgery

Prince Rainier

of Monaco is recovering from lung surgery a week ago but will remain in the hospital to help overcome fatigue, his doctors said Thursday.

"His healing is on the right track, but it's necessary to keep him hospitalized for several days to watch over his general state and to help the prince overcome the fatigue associated with his recent surgery," said BYLINE1: Drs. Jean Joseph PastorHEAD: and Vincent Dor

in a palace statement.

BYLINE2:Surgeons removed a part of the 76-year-old prince's lung Feb. 2 to examine a small nodular growth. Doctors have said that the growth was discovered during routine testing in December and that it is no cause for alarm. They have not said whether it was cancerous.

It was the second surgery in less than two months for the prince. He had an operation in December to repair an aneurysm in his abdominal aorta. In 1994, he underwent coronary bypass surgery.

Back pain sidelines singer

Severe back pain has forced Welsh bass-baritone

BYLINE1:Bryn Terfel to withdraw from his final four performances as the Four Villains in Offenbach's "The Tales of Hoffmann" at the Metropolitan Opera.

Terfel, whose huge voice and riveting stage presence have made him one of the most popular opera stars, has flown to London for treatment, Met General Manager BYLINE1:Joseph Volpesaid Thursday.

Canadian baritone BYLINE1:John FanningHEAD: sang the Four Villains in the opera's prologue and each of the three tales on Feb. 8 and will sing them in Saturday's matinee, which will be broadcast live on the radio, and on Feb. 15 and 19.

Terfel has been hampered by back problems before. In 1994, he had to cancel some Met performances as Leporello in Mozart's "Don Giovanni" and later underwent back surgery.

Last season Terfel sang the title role in Mozart's "The Marriage of Figaro" in a new Met production by BYLINE1:Jonathan Miller

He was part of a cast The Associated Press review called "as close to perfection as possible."

Fanning made his Met debut last season as Monterone, who pronounces the Act 1 curse in Verdi's "Rigoletto."